If you're hosting a dinner party, make these crowd-pleasing vegetarian enchiladas! They're a flavorful, creative main dish that's sure to be a hit.

I know you love cookbooks as much as I do, so I’m excited to share this recipe from Kristen Donnely’s new book, Modern Potluck. I met Kristin about a year ago while she was an editor at Food & Wine Magazine. When she told me about the concept of her book, I knew I’d want to share it with you

I love this… In her intro, she talks about the perfect dinner parties (with perfect hosts) that they would feature in the magazine, and how she’d always felt embarrassed that she didn’t grow up knowing how to throw a “proper” dinner party. Until one day she realized that these magazine features were always parties of 8 to 12 people, and that, growing up, her mom could host 50 to 100 without panic because her secret was the potluck.

But even potlucks have changed over the years, which is why she was inspired to write this book. These days there are things like dietary restrictions and “Instagram worthiness” to consider. Also, people have become more food savvy, and there’s always pressure to bring a standout dish. She wrote Modern Potluck to give people updated, foolproof, crowd-pleasing recipes that will hold up on the buffet table… and to bring people together around food in a way that’s as easy and fun as possible. One of my favorite parts of the book is that every recipe has a “Potluck Prep” tip that tells you how to prepare the recipe in advance, how long the recipe will sit out for, etc, etc.

About These Vegetarian Enchiladas

I made these no-bake enchiladas that I think are pretty darn Instagram worthy, don’t you? :). The recipe starts with a delicious carrot-cumin sofrito that I could not stop eating by the spoonful as it was cooking on my stove. The enchiladas are filled with a cheese, cilantro, and pea filling, while the sofrito, avocado, and seeds get piled on top.

We really enjoyed this fresh take on enchiladas – especially since it’s a little too hot to turn the oven on!

If you love these vegetarian enchiladas…

Recipe from Modern Potluck by Kristin Donnely. Reprinted with permission.

Author: Jeanine Donofrio

Recipe type: Main dish

Serves: 12 enchiladas

Ingredients

for the sofrito

1 pound carrots, coarsely chopped

1 small yellow onion, chopped

5 garlic cloves

½ pound ripe tomatoes, chopped

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

kosher salt

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

for the filling

9 ounces Cotija cheese

1½ cups frozen peas, thawed

1½ cups fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

¼ cup finely chopped white onion

for serving

Grapeseed oil, or other neutral oil, for frying

16 (6-7 inch) corn tortillas

2 tablespoons pepitas, lightly toasted

2 tablespoons sunflower seeds, lightly toasted

1 avocado, cut into small chunks and tossed with lime juice

½ cup tomatillo salsa, optional

Instructions

Make the Sofrito: In a food processor, pulse the carrots, onion and garlic until very finely chopped. Scrape the mixture into a medium bowl. Add the tomatoes to the food processor and pulse until nearly smooth.

In a deep, medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the cumin seeds and toast until they pop, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the carrot mixture and a generous pinch of salt and cook, stirring every once in a while, until softened slightly and nearly dry, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato puree and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated, 5 minutes.

Stir in the remaining 6 tablespoons olive oil, reduce the heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are very soft, about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Stir in the lime juice and season with salt. (Jeanine's note: my carrots were pretty wet and soft at this point, so I only added 2 (of the 6) tablespoons olive oil, and I continued to cook it for about 30 minutes instead of 1½ hours).

Make the filling: In a large bowl, toss the cheese with the peas, cilantro, and onion.

Assemble the enchiladas: In a small skillet heat ¼ inch of the grapeseed oil. When the oil is warm, use tongs to cook the tortillas, one by one, until pliable, about 20 seconds for each. Transfer to a plate.

When the tortillas are cool enough to handle, place a scant ¼ cup of the pea-cheese filling onto each tortilla and roll up. Arrange them on a platter or shallow baking dish. Spoon the sofrito on top, and sprinkle with the remaining filling, the pepitas and sunflower seeds, and the avocado, if using. Serve with salsa, if desired

Notes

Potluck prep: the carrot sofrito, without the lime juice, can be refrigerated for up to 1 week, stir in the lime juice before using. The assembled enchiladas can stand at room temperature for about 2 hours.

This looks so delicious! Thanks for the tip about keeping the sofrito in the fridge. I need to do a ton of meal prep each week because I’m working, in school and a parent. So tips like these help out soo much.

Just got your cookbook recently (which I love) – and this looks like it would be a great complement to it! Love having veggie recipes so yummy the meat-eaters don’t even realize they are going without!

I would love a copy of this book! I am always cooking for hordes of people or bringing dishes to potlucks and would love some tips/ideas! I love the healthy looking beautiful pics as well–my cousin does healthy meal prep and catering and I know that she would love some of these recipes!

The samosa filled poblanos sound really good. I’ve only had samosa filling in actual samosas and a naan sandwich, so it’s good to know that the delicious filling is versatile. The enchiladas look really good too, plus not having to bake them is really nice.

I thoroughly enjoy your cookbook. I saw it recently (on display) at the Getty Villa (Malibu, CA) gift store. I was there with my son and his friend, and I remarked about what a great cookbook it is. Kristen Donnely’s “Modern Potluck,” too, looks like something I would very much enjoy. I love to cook, period.

I have a little site that I began a few years ago just to share my own newfound and (mostly) original vegan recipes, but I’ve been a cook of healthy food my entire life. Now I am happy that my three adult children are all beginning to follow suit, and to see the importance of eating and preparing healthy, sustainable, and delicious food!

Wow, the presentation is beautiful on those enchiladas! Recently became a vegetarian so your blog has been instrumental in altering my normal cooking and meals at home. Checking out the Modern Potluck book now, would be thrilled to win the tupperware and book!!!

This looks so good! I’m always looking for different, fresher, healthier dishes to bring to potlucks or just family dinners to balance out the many mac & cheeses, casseroles, etc (and to break my mold of the dessert-bringer!). I’d love to get a look at everything else in the book!

Looks refreshing and delicious. I haven’t made it yet. I wonder is there a way I can soften the tortillas without heating them in oil? Im judiciously using oil in my diet. Would it work to heat each one over a gas flame and quickly fill and roll it?

By the way since I cook for two of us, I’m using the toaster oven for almost all baking of savory food. Much faster and cooler.

For any one who goes to potlucks, supper clubs, group gatherings, this could well be my next GANG cookbook!! Looks yummy-and with 100 degree days lingering forever, PERFECT!! Your timing is GREAT!! Thanks!!

I had never heard of sofrito until right now, but it looks ridiculously good. I love potlucks and I love bringing something surprising. A couple months ago we were invited to one the day we got back from a vacation and I was exhausted (and am pregnant), so instead of my original plan of making a cherry pie, we bought one (from Whole Foods so at least it was good!). But then my husband put it in one of our pie dishes and told everyone he made it….haha. They were very impressed. (#notmyidea)

I love that pot lucks are making a comeback! It’s always fun to be invited (or throw) a party and making it a pot luck spreads the work…it also encourages a variety of food. I think that’s 1/2 the recipe for a successful party!!

Your “Love & Lemons Cookbook” is an inspiration for healthy eating; the ingredients are accessible and the photographs are gorgeous. Having the opportunity to add another beautiful cookbook to my collection would be a ‘win-win’! Thanks so much for the chance!

Another beautiful recipe to try my hand at! I’ve been OBSESSED with your book & blog over the past several months as I’ve transitioned to a plant-based diet, and this new cookbook looks like it could help on my journey, as well 🙂

Oh I can’t begin to imagine this combination of ingredients…can’t wait to try this. Thanks for the chance to enter this giveaway. I cherish the cookbooks I have collected throughout my life — this one appears to have some delightful, tasty, insightful recipes to offer.

This recipe looks amazing! We love to throw dinner parties, but tend to make the same couple of items due to the ease of serving (not necessarily preparation) they provide! It would be great to get some new ideas in the mix – ones that are already tried and true!

Carrot Sofrito has me intrigued , so off to the kitchen to check if I have all the ingredients to begin this no bake enchilada recipe especially when the ninety degree days of summer are here. Easy to pull together for a small or large impromptu dinner gathering.

I’m totally that person that crumbles under potluck pressure! I love cooking, but I cook for my tastes, and know that my taste is not mainstream. I’d love some suggestions to help me vet my favorite recipes!

Can the ultimate sophistication in the kitchen really blossom from the simplicity of a single ingredient such as a lemon….or a beautiful carrot? Is being mindful and organized worth the effort? Hoping to find out. Thanks for keeping us inspired! #feelinsnappy.

The pablanos look amazing to try too! I cook each week for a couple families and I think this book would be great for helping me keep and plan and give them gorgeous food while still making it easier to make large quantities.